


Not Going Anywhere

by sakarrie



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: But also basically found siblings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotionally Hurt Carmen, Emotionally Hurt Player, Fluff, Gen, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Player & Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep Friendship, Reunion, Season/Series 04 Spoilers, i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28872834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakarrie/pseuds/sakarrie
Summary: After Carmen is able to snap out of VILE's control, Team Red takes her back to HQ. But there's still one person she hasn't talked to yet.Or: The reunion between Player and Carmen that I really wanted to see in the finale.
Relationships: Carmen Sandiego & Team Red, Player & Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep
Comments: 38
Kudos: 220





	Not Going Anywhere

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so a week ago, I barely even remembered the plot of this show, but then a friend helped hype me up and I binged seasons 2-4 in a few days. Long story short, I'm currently _extremely_ obsessed (and lowkey super bummed we didn't get to see VILE go after Player cause I love my son, and therefore I torture him). I've got lots of ideas that I'll keep working on as long as my hype remains, but in the meantime, take some Player and Carmen found sibling cuteness.
> 
> A big thank you to Rueitae (check out her stuff!!) for betaing this and the countless brainstorming sessions we've had in the last few days. You're amazing!

Carmen smiled as Zack and Ivy hustled around the room, making sure she had everything she needed. Shadowsan was far more still in his chair, a book in his lap, but Carmen could feel the glances he sent her way every so often. It felt good to be back, and it was clear everyone else felt the same.

Six months.

She couldn't believe how long it had been. And there was still one person she'd yet to see.

"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Zack asked as Ivy set up the voice call. Carmen was capable of doing that herself, but the moment she'd mentioned contacting Player, the siblings were already up and searching for the laptop.

"I'm good," Carmen replied, holding back the eye roll. The mother-henning wasn't surprising, all things considered, but it wasn't in Carmen's nature to let herself depend on others so much. Thankfully, Ivy and Zack seemed to get the message, as they disappeared into the next room.

The voice call was picked up almost immediately.

"News?" The question was out before the video feed had even loaded, and the moment Player realized it was Carmen in front of him, his mouth fell open.

He wasn't the only one faced with a surprise, though. Carmen struggled to hold back her own reaction as Player's weary form filled the screen. She'd seen him sick, exhausted, and on the verge of a breakdown before, but she'd never seen him look this haggard.

"C-carmen?" he asked, voice higher than usual. There was some apprehension in his tone, and Carmen had to remind herself that he didn't know she had all her memories yet.

"Yeah, it's me."

The relieved grin that erupted across Player's face did little to hide the bags under his eyes as it normally would, and the time she was gone took on new meaning.

Six months.

"It's good to see you, Red," Player said thickly, words holding far more meaning than what he actually said. His eyes glistened, and Carmen felt hers start to as well.

"You too," Carmen said, trying to offer the same love and relief in the two words as Player had.

He just smiled broader, and Carmen wondered when the last time he'd seen his reflection was. Player always kept his hair clean and brushed, but now it looked like he hadn't touched it in weeks. Which was possible, Carmen wouldn't know.

Six months.

"I've been so worried. You just dropped off and then someone picked up your ear piece and it wasn't you and—" He cut himself off, and Carmen got a glimpse of what his ragged appearance looked like without relief covering it. Her heart sunk.

"Player, when was the last time you ate?"

Player was clearly not expecting the question, and Carmen grimaced. She had always been the one to watch out for Player's health when he was faced with a mission. After she'd disappeared, Player had probably considered it the most important mission he'd ever worked on, and it was clear no one took up her role to check in with the kid.

Six months.

The silence was answer enough, and Carmen tried not to get frustrated. They'd had this conversation before, and she knew Player didn't skip meals on purpose. He'd just get too focused on the task at hand to realize it was time to eat.

By Player's reaction, Carmen guessed her attempt to hide the frustration failed. His happiness from earlier fell away entirely, and shame filled his features.

"Look, I didn't mean to. I just— You were gone, and I couldn't stand to waste time when you were stuck under VILE's influence."

"Eating isn't a waste of time, Player."

"I know, Red, it wasn't like that, and I do eat. It's just been... really hard without you here is all."

Carmen watched the fight drain out of Player's body, making him look even smaller than his baggy clothes already did. This wasn't what she wanted. She couldn't imagine the stress of losing her best friend for that long, especially not with the knowledge that they were in the hands of VILE. The fact that Player still had _any_ fight left was a comfort, and he obviously didn't need more to feel guilty about right now.

"It's okay, I'm not angry. I just wish you weren't put in that position."

A sad smile lifted the corner of Player's mouth. "Yeah, me too. How are you holding up?"

Carmen glanced away, having expected the question, but still not knowing how to answer. "It's... weird. Violating. I hardly remember the last couple months, but what I do doesn't feel like me."

Player listened silently, clearly concerned and curious, but knowing that it could take some time for her to talk when it came to feelings. It was something Carmen greatly appreciated about her friend. 

"It was like another person took over, but not like mind control or possession or something. It was still me I could tell, but I couldn't even recognize myself. And worse, I didn't care that I didn't."

Six months.

Carmen fingered the zipper of her jacket, all too aware that there had been no page flip from Shadowsan in a while. The room where Ivy and Zack had disappeared to seemed suspiciously quiet as well. It wasn't that she didn't want them to know, but the idea of speaking this out loud felt like confession enough without the eavesdropping.

"You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to," Player said gently. He could always tell when she was really struggling with something, and always gave her an out when it felt like too much to talk about. She couldn't take it this time, though. This was something she needed to face.

"I can't help but wonder if that's what I would have become had I not left VILE island." Carmen glanced up, offering a small smile. "Had I not met you."

Player returned the smile, but it held sadness of its own. "Red, I wasn't the one that made you care. You were already doing that on your own. Those monsters didn't just take away your memories, they took away what makes you _you_. Like you said, you couldn't even recognize yourself. Well, I couldn't either. Cause the thing that makes you Carmen? That spark and love that I saw the first day I met Black Sheep? They took that from you. Even if you never met me, you'd still be the kickbutt, charity-loving Carmen you are today."

"You definitely contributed to that person," Carmen huffed, feeling the understatement for what it was. "But thanks, Player. You always know how to cheer me up."

Player smiled for real, and this time Carmen could see some of the stress melt away. The exhaustion and malnourishment would take a bit more time to leave, but Carmen was determined it would happen.

"Get some rest, Player," Carmen said, then smirked and added, "I'm not going anywhere."

Player laughed, obviously remembering their conversation all those months ago as well. "Yeah, okay, Mom. But only if you do too."

Carmen nodded. "Fair enough, but I better not receive any updates until at least noon your time. And grab some food before you sleep."

Player groaned. "Fine. Just... check in when you wake up? That should be plenty past twelve."

"Deal. Goodnight." 

"Goodnight."

Carmen started to reach for the 'end call' button when Player's voice paused her. "Oh, and Red?" 

She looked up, gaze questioning. "Yeah?"

"It's good to have you back."

Carmen softened, a familiar sense of gratitude for this floppy-haired kid flooding her. "Yeah, me too."

She clicked off the call, and leaned back on the sofa, chuckling softly as Zack and Ivy fell into the hallway with guilty expressions on their faces. 

Six months was a long time, but she had a whole lot longer ahead of her.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! If you have a moment, please leave a kudos and your thoughts!
> 
> Also, I've been brainstorming this super long Player-centric fic based on DGshoe's "Tick-tock" idea where Player's mom works for VILE and his dad works for ACME. (Though, my fic takes a noticeably darker route that the original, haha!) I'm not sure if I'll be writing the whole thing yet, since it's a pretty elaborate fic and I don't want to over commit, but I've been writing snippets of it that I'll be posting it as a drabble collection fic on here soon! It's mostly just a stock-pile of Player whump, angst, and dealing with what family means. Based on your guys' interest, I'll see what I can do about making it it's own thing!


End file.
